Naruto: Fate System

Actually, when Shin first decided to intervene in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, he had already mentally prepared himself: Iwa and his group were destined to be mere partners of convenience, never intimate allies who could trust each other wholeheartedly.

This was due to the fundamental divergence in their interests. Tools were tools, no matter how you dressed them up. And Iwa's desperation made them the perfect expendable piece.

Akatsuki sought to stabilize Konoha, seize resources and territory, strengthen themselves first, and then plan their ambitions for the surrounding regions.

For Akatsuki, time was on Shin's side as the Land of Rain was currently in a period of rapid growth.

Once the industrial base of Rōran, fueled by Ryūmyaku's infinite energy, began operating, each passing day would strengthen his resources for domination.

But Iwa's situation was different.

As a traditional ninja village, their period of growth had long since passed. The stone walls of their meeting room, once symbols of unwavering strength, now seemed to echo with the whispers of decline.

The Tsuchikage wasn't content with merely stabilizing Konoha; they wanted to seriously wound or even destroy it.

Only by ripping a piece of flesh from the beast could they satiate their shrunken stomachs.

It was this fundamental divergence in interests that led Shin to withhold the intelligence he had gained, instead letting them fend for themselves at the Kannabi Bridge.

Because he understood that simply handing over intelligence wouldn't be enough to shift Iwa's overall strategic direction.

Before doing so, he tried every possible method to elevate his leverage and dangle the intelligence in front of them to catch their attention. Yet now, it seemed he had underestimated the ambition of this old fox.

A dying beast indeed, but one with sharp teeth and sharper eyes.

That old man's mind was entirely fixated on offense. On marching into the Land of Fire and tearing enough meat from Konoha to feed themselves.

Shin tried to advise him, "This intelligence is crucial. Minato seems absolutely determined to disrupt your supply lines. Tsuchikage-sama, wise and thoughtful as you are, shouldn't you consider strengthening your defensive lines first?"

He only thinks about attacking, ignoring the consequences. No wonder in the original story his village was just experience fodder for Minato. No sense of the bigger picture...

But Ōnoki maintained his stance.

"I've never thought defense was a glorious thing to do," he said, scratching his beard with a cunning smile, "Purely defending won't win a war. Minato was recently repelled by you, and his undefeated legend has been shattered. Your legend is now being forged!"

"You're only one step away from earning your own exclusive title. Aren't you tempted?"

This brat! You managed to defeat Minato once, and now you're scared? Why is it so hard to convince you to attack with me?

On the surface, they were exchanging polite pleasantries, but internally they were furiously roasting each other—truly a slice of human nature.

"Your wisdom truly knows no bounds, Tsuchikage-sama," Shin said with a smile. And your stubbornness knows no limits.

"And your caution serves you well," Ōnoki replied, his wrinkled face creasing into what might have been a smile. Too well, you gutless brat.

In the end, neither convinced the other, and the discussion ended on a sour note.

This incident, however, served as a quiet wake-up call for Shin: Akatsuki needed to secure the mountainous region around the Kannabi Bridge as soon as possible, following their original plan.

As much as he hated Ōnoki, he still needed Iwa to stand at the forefront and help him hold back the tides of the ongoing ninja war.

---

After parting ways with Shin, Ōnoki furiously threw a scroll to the ground in frustration.

"This brat is infuriating! So stubborn!"

Yet in the next moment, a sly glint appeared in his eyes as he turned to Kitsuchi and Deidara, who had been waiting silently in the shadows.

"Have you figured out the secret behind Akatsuki's rapid rise in power?" He fixed them with an expectant stare, hands clasped behind his back.

He would never put all his hopes on Shin's cooperation.

In fact, immediately after Akatsuki's victory over Minato, he had sent urgent orders to Kitsuchi and his frontline scouts, instructing them to uncover the secret behind Akatsuki's sudden strength.

Ōnoki had always shared a similarity with Danzō: they trusted no one but their own.

Iwa had worked with Kumo for years in joint attacks on Konoha, yet not long ago, he had decisively turned on them and sent 10,000 ninjas to kill the Third Raikage.

The bodies that piled up that day were just another reminder of how quickly allies could become enemies.

He hadn't trusted Kumo back then, and he certainly didn't trust Akatsuki or Shin.

But compared to Danzō, Ōnoki was undoubtedly more intelligent and far better at maintaining appearances. The art of deception was his true expertise, perfected over decades of leadership.

Even as he secretly schemed against Akatsuki, he made every effort to maintain the facade of a friendly alliance, going so far as to lend them a third of the regions around Kusa.

Just like in the original timeline, where he had secretly hired Akatsuki for years but publicly stood united with the Five Great Villages, joining the Shinobi Alliance cleanly during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

The old fox always knew how to play both sides of the field.

No matter the timeline, he was never one to stay idle and certainly lived up to the title of "crafty."

So it was no surprise that he was already plotting against Akatsuki. The real tragedy of Iwa, however, was that their collective intellect was unevenly distributed—nine-tenths of their brains resided in Ōnoki alone.

This fact became painfully clear as his disciples began their reports.

When Ōnoki asked Kitsuchi what he had uncovered, the large man shifted uncomfortably, looking more like a scolded child than a seasoned shinobi.

He sheepishly scratched his head and replied, "I think their secret is how loyal they are to Shin as their leader."

Then he added helpfully, adjusting his flak jacket, "Oh, and their slogan sounds really inspiring." He smiled as if he'd just shared profound wisdom.

Ōnoki's eyebrows shot up in anger, his face reddening. The vein on his forehead pulsed visibly. Is this really my own flesh and blood?

"This is all you've found after so many days?!"

If he weren't his own son, Ōnoki would have sent him flying with the Lightened Boulder. Instead, he just massaged his temples and turned to his second disciple, desperately hoping for better news.

Akatsuchi, visibly nervous under his teacher's intense gaze, scrunched up his nose but managed to stammer, "I... I found that their ninja squads cooperate really well." He shifted from foot to foot.

"Oh? Tell me more." Ōnoki leaned in eagerly, his hope rising for just a moment.

"Well... I couldn't quite understand it, but they're really good at it!" Akatsuchi beamed, clearly proud of his observation.

"…" Perhaps I should have retired years ago, Ōnoki thought bitterly.

He clutched his chest, trying to calm himself. There was still one last hope: his youngest and most promising disciple, Deidara. The boy's artistic genius might have finally been put to good use.

Deidara, catching his teacher's gaze, lit up with excitement. "Their tactics are pure art! Just the other day, I secretly watched one of their training sessions from above!"

Hearing this, Ōnoki was overjoyed. He straightened up despite his chronic back pain.

Finally! A student with some initiative! His faith in the Will of Stone was momentarily restored.

Maybe there's hope for the next generation after all.

"What did you see? Did you uncover their secret?" he asked eagerly.

"I saw art!" Deidara replied with utter seriousness, as if in reverence.

"And?" Ōnoki pressed, refusing to give up.

"Art!" Deidara's voice rose with excitement, his hands gesturing wildly in the air.

"So what is art? How do they do it?" Ōnoki's voice grew strained with desperation. "How did a ragtag group of Ame ninja and small-time missing-nin transform so quickly and defeat the Yellow Flash of Konoha?"

"Art… is art!" Deidara's face glowed with fervor. "Art is the fleeting brilliance of a single moment! It's a magnificence mortals cannot comprehend!" He struck a dramatic pose, completely missing his teacher's growing despair.

"…" The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush stone. The eager light in Ōnoki's eyes died like a candle in the wind.

After a long silence, during which he seemed to age another decade, he turned wearily to Kitsuchi.

"Your son was born recently, wasn't he?"

"Yes, Father." Kitsuchi straightened up, perhaps sensing the importance of the moment.

"After this war is over, I'll take him under my wing. This time, I'll raise him from the start myself." Perhaps the next generation will bring better fortune than this one.

There was sadness in his tone, the kind that comes from realizing all your current "projects" are failures and deciding to start over from scratch. As his three disciples stood before him, each proud of their utterly useless reports, Ōnoki could only think of the long years ahead. And to think these were the ones who would inherit the Will of Stone...

Although the three disciples together couldn't muster a single coherent brain among them, Ōnoki still didn't give up on uncovering the secrets of Akatsuki.

"You three are useless, so let's send more people," Ōnoki said grimly.

Not long after, Shin received news: Iwa had generously sent over three medical teams and an auxiliary team.

The auxiliary team even thoughtfully brought detailed maps of the area near Kusa and rough demographic data of nearby towns.

The reason given was legitimate enough—expressing gratitude for the shared intel on Root.

But Shin immediately smelled a conspiracy.

He didn't refuse, however; instead, he actively arranged for the auxiliary team to be stationed in Akatsuki's camp. The placement was strategic, close enough to seem trusting but positioned where every movement could be monitored.

The very next day, the captain of the auxiliary team—a curvaceous blonde kunoichi with a gentle demeanor—was personally summoned to Shin's office.

Outside the office, a few male Iwa ninja from the team watched from afar. They huddled in the shadows of a nearby building, their eyes fixed on the closed door.

"It looks like our mission will be completed easily," one said with a knowing smirk.

"Who would've thought? Akatsuki's leader looks young and serious, but he's really just like that," another chuckled, elbowing his companion.

"Pah! Even I wouldn't need the lights on!" The third made an obscene gesture, drawing snickers from the others.

But behind the closed doors, Shin wasn't doing anything inappropriate. Instead, he handed the auxiliary captain a pair of glasses with a smile.

"Put these on. Doesn't your vision suffer when you're in disguise?"

The familiarity in his tone would leave the Iwa ninja outside speechless if they heard it.

The captain, personally chosen by the Tsuchikage himself, was in fact an undercover agent from the Land of Rain.

Putting on the glasses, the kunoichi adjusted her expression and smiled warmly, instantly exuding her usual aura. The transformation was subtle but complete—from attractive blonde to the familiar, calculating presence he knew so well.

She was none other than Akatsuki's long-lost spy: Nonō.

"Thank you for your concern, Shin-sama. Actually, if I focus chakra in my eyes, my vision temporarily recovers."

"Ah, I see. Wear them here for convenience. At least it'll be easier for you." Shin leaned back in his chair.

Nonō responded with a look of exaggerated humility, adjusting the glasses. "This is a small matter; there's no need to trouble you."

Shin waved dismissively. "No need to be so tense. I've said before, Akatsuki treats its own much better than Root ever did."

"You've accomplished great things, Nonō. You deserve the best care and rewards."

These simple words moved Nonō deeply once again.

Shin's knack for employee care had clearly reached perfection.

The subsequent events unfolded predictably. One by one, Iwa's civilian spies disappeared without a trace from Kusa, their disappearances too scattered to raise immediate alarm.

Ōnoki's spies, sent to infiltrate and steal secrets, turned out to already be Akatsuki operatives. The intelligence-gathering effort naturally went nowhere. Each report sent back to Iwa contained exactly what Shin wanted them to know, nothing more.

He even turned the situation to his advantage, using Nonō to acquire a list of Iwa spies planted among the civilians in Kusa and secretly eliminating many of them. The operations were clean, quiet —nothing that could be traced back to Akatsuki.

This further solidified Akatsuki's control over the region.

Ōnoki's attempt at subterfuge ultimately led to nothing but failure and embarrassment.

A week passed, and Ōnoki still had no idea he'd been outmaneuvered. In his office, maps and reports scattered across his desk, the old Tsuchikage plotted his next move in blissful ignorance.

He was now solely focused on attacking Konoha to destroy Minato's legend for good.

"Plan another assault! If those Akatsuki cowards won't cooperate, then leak the information to Kumo and get those battle maniacs to work with us!"

Kitsuchi, voiced concern, "Father, will Kumo work with us? Don't they hate you now?"

"Fool!" Ōnoki leapt up with surprising agility and smacked him on the knee. "We don't need their cooperation! All we have to do is leak the information. Those maniacs might hate me, but they hate Konoha even more!"

At that moment, he held a "modified Akatsuki secret document" fabricated by Nonō.

"This time, it's finally Iwa's turn to take center stage in the war!"

His psychological grasp of Kumo was spot on. The northern armies moved like storm clouds gathering over Konoha, drawn by the promise of weakness in their greatest rival.

Although Kumo was still locked in a tense standoff with Iwa along the northern coastal regions, the moment they received news of Iwa's planned assault on Konoha, the A-B Combo couldn't resist joining in.

The Fourth Raikage found the temptation of a weakened Minato impossible to resist.

In no time, the northern shinobi world reverted to its state from a year ago: Iwa and Kumo marching south in unison to crush Konoha.

Konoha's northern front quickly fell into dire straits, teetering on the brink of collapse. Reports flooded in of villages falling, outposts being overrun, supply lines cut.

The once-dazzling aura surrounding Minato seemed to vanish overnight.

Even Akatsuki, still training new recruits and recuperating, felt the shift.

Like jackals sensing weakness in a lion, smaller nations began testing boundaries they wouldn't have dared approach before.

---

One day, Nagato walked into the room with a puzzled look and asked Shin, "Isn't it strange? Why has Kusa suddenly started provoking us so frequently? Where did they get the courage?"

Konan, who followed him in, was equally baffled.

She perched on the edge of a nearby chair, her brow furrowed in thought. "It's true. We've been in Kusa for a while now. When we first arrived, they didn't dare make a sound. Now, even though we've practically taken half their country, they've started acting out?"

Sanda, sitting nearby cleaning his weapons, succinctly commented, "They've lost their minds."

Only Shin chuckled softly, unbothered. "There's nothing strange about it. Some people see Minato as a dying man, so they think our previous victories weren't all that impressive."

To Kusa, Akatsuki's refusal to join the assault on Konoha likely seemed further proof of their supposed weakness.

Many were beginning to view Minato as a spent force, and by extension, saw Akatsuki as nothing more than a toothless lion.

In essence, Minato's deteriorating position had diminished the perceived value of Akatsuki's past successes.

Nagato and Konan exchanged incredulous glances, struggling to comprehend the situation. The room fell silent except for the steady rhythm of Crow's weapon maintenance.

"But that Konoha commander shouldn't be so easily dismissed, right? You've always considered him our top adversary."

Shin shrugged. "Honestly, if Minato were to fall and stay down, it'd be a great thing for us."

Then, with a sigh, he added, "However, in my judgment, that man won't go down so easily."